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Birthing in Water
"Through pain find strength, through birth find healing
It is never easy to keep reaching for dreams,
Strength and courage can sometimes be lonely friends -- but those who reach, walk in stardust." Flavia
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Benefits of a Water Birth are:
- Water supports your body, therefore you can conserve your energy and rest more peacefully in between contractions
- Water promotes deeper relaxation, so that less stress is experienced and less energy is used
- In water, the blood supply to the uterus is improved, the pulse rate is decreased and the body produces larger quantities of oxytocin. Consequently, the uterus contracts more efficiently, which may speed up the labor.
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There is less risk of tearing, of trauma to tissue or skin. Some researchers believe that gravity causes babies' brains to become unnecessarily heavy. Water helps the baby make an easier transition to the environment since it is similar to what was experienced in the uterus.
- Water helps with effective pain management. One hundred percent of Canadian women who birth in the water use no pain medication
- Babies cannot drown in the water. They have been breathing liquids for nine months, and immediately after birth they still receive a significant amount of oxygen through the umbilical cord
- A randomized controlled trial by the Setting University Teaching Hospital in England showed that immersion in water resulted in a significantly lower rate of epidural analgesia or any form of obstetric intervention (British Journal of Midwifery, January 26,2004)
- For an extensive list of benefits, indications and contraindications for water birth please visit Birth Balance
- Frequently asked questions answered by both Barbara Harper
- and Judith Elaine Hayek (Is every woman a good candidate for water birth?)
- In order to have a birth in water in Ontario you have to hire a midwife. Midwifery care is free of charge and covers not only pregnancy and birth (your choice of at home or in the hospital) but also an additional four weeks of the postpartum care. More...
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We try to give a birthing woman freedom to find the right position for her own needs and comfort. Unfortunately, in our society we think of birthing as something done while lying down.
Michel Odent, MD
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| Yoga Yournal about Water Birth |
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| Further Reading : Birthing in Water |
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